Human Capability and Entrepreneurial Development in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Paul Oghenero Okumagba,Otega Okinono

doi:10.22610/imbr.v8i1.1194

Paul Oghenero Okumagba, Otega Okinono

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v8i1.1194

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Abstract

The paper sets out to explore the link existing between the entrepreneurial interventions and human capital development in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. In order to address the major problem of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, many successive governments in Nigeria have embarked on one entrepreneurship developmental program or the other. Unfortunately, all these government efforts have failed to yield a fruitful sustainable entrepreneurial development particularly among the Niger Delta region that are mainly the target of the programs. Past studies have attributed such failure to a range of factors such as infrastructure decay and deficiency leading to poor human development, lack of proper implementation of the master plan, lack of funds, inadequacy of the master plan etc. Although, the efforts of the past studies as well as that of the developmental agencies are commendable, however, they have failed to address one important issue which is the human capability aspect of the developmental program. Therefore, this paper explores the role of human capability approach on the effectiveness of the entrepreneurship development programs within the Niger Delta region context and the political influence with a view to proposing a framework to examine the relationship between human capability and effective entrepreneurship development programs.

Highlights

Entrepreneurship development has become a central issue of discussion in every government agenda in many countries of the world
The paper argued that human capability approach is required to address the gap in the entrepreneurship development program in the Niger Delta region
The paper views human capability as the core value in achieving one’s ends in a particular society that enlarges the choices of individuals’. This aspect found to be lacking in the entrepreneurship and overall developmental approach used in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

Summary

Introduction

Entrepreneurship development has become a central issue of discussion in every government agenda in many countries of the world. Some countries in the developing nations have not been able to achieve much success in sustainability of entrepreneurship development (Jamaluddin & Dickie, 2011; Al Rabeei, 2003) This scenario captures the efforts of the Nigerian government in addressing the issue of human development through entrepreneurship programs in the Niger Delta region. The United Nations Development Report (UNDP, 2013) indicated vocational training as a platform that enables individual to exercise and maximize their potentials in achieving self-actualization and sustainability within their immediate environment and society at large Past study such as Agbiboa (2013), Ajibola (2015), Ekumaoko (2013) have indicated that the training and empowerment programs initiated by the government were not targeted towards community development and empowerment but rather as a way of enticing the warring youths to drop their arms. In view of the above realities, this paper explains the role of human capability on the effectiveness of entrepreneurship developmental programs in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with a view to proposing a framework to guide effective entrepreneurship developmental programs in the Niger Delta region

Literature Review and Concept Clarification

Theoretical Framework

Findings

Conclusion